Ethics and Religious Culture is a new course (introduced in 2008) taught in all elementary and high schools in Quebec province, Canada. It replaced denominationally based forms of religious education in public schools and is compulsory in all schools, private as well as public. The aim of the subject is to promote and understanding of the religious heritage of Quebec. The programme's key principles are Recognition of Others and Pursuit of the Common Good. The course also aims to promote a ‘culture of dialogue’ among students. The fact that the course is compulsory has caused some controversy.

In order to place the course in an international context, an international symposium for educators, scholars and policymakers was held by McGill University’s Faculties of Education and Religious Studies on October 2^nd 2009. Professor Robert Jackson, Director of the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit at the University of Warwick, UK, and Professor of Religious Diversity and Education at the European Wergeland Centre, Oslo, gave the opening keynote presentation. Professor Jackson set the Quebec course in a wider international perspective, giving reasons why a knowledge and understanding of different religious traditions and secular philosophies is important in the public education of all societies that embrace the human rights principle of freedom of religion or belief. Other presentations were made by Professor Diane Moore of Harvard University, USA, Dr Isabelle Saint-Martin, of the Sorbonne in Paris and Dr Spencer Boudreau of McGillUniversity.

On Saturday 3^rdOctober, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met Professor Jackson and Dr Isabelle Saint-Martin together with the Principal and senior staff from McGillUniversity before speaking to and answering questions from a large audience, including 500 students from universities in Quebec who are training to teach the Ethics and Religious Culture programme.